Lamp



R. K. LEE

LAM P Filed Feb. 8, 1957.

April 19, 19,38.

INVENTOR ROGER K. LEE

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 19, 1938 UNITED STATES LAMP Roger K. Lee,

Highland Park, Mich., assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application February 8, 1937, Serial No. 124,540

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in an electric light bulb.

More particularly, the invention pertains to improvements in permanently fixed focal length,

light beam projecting incandescent bulbs of the type which include hermetically sealed together lens and reflector portions between which a filament is enveloped.

One of the main objects of the invention is to ,10 provide in a lamp bulb of the foregoing character,

improved means for supporting one or more filaments thereof which is adapted to be so adjusted, during the manufacture of the bulb, as to accurately place the filament at a predetermined location, preferably at the center of focus of the reflector portion of the bulb.

Another object of the invention is to provide filament supporting means of this kind which does not obstruct passage of light rays to the central part of the reflector portion of the bulb and which is so constructed and arranged as to occupy substantially little space. v

A further object of the invention is to provide a filament supporting member which serves as a 0;; terminal wire for the filament.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a yieldable mounting for a unitary reflector and lens comprising electric light bulb of this character in which rubber may be employed as cushioning and sealing means without endangering the reflecting surface to tarnishing.

Additional objects of the invention are to provide a mounting for an incandescent light bulb of the foregoing character which coacts with the 5 bulb at locations of its maximum dimensions 50 as to facilitate firm securement of the bulb against displacement by the application of relatively low unit pressure; to provide bulb mounting means of this character which yield sufficiently to accommodate adjustment of the bulb so as to facilitate directing of the light beam emitted thereby; and to provide means for adjusting the bulb for this purpose which cooperate with the combined filament supporting and current supply means so as 5 to serve as electrical contacts in feeding electrical current to the filament.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central sectional view of an incandescent bulb embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. M

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged sectional view of the portion in Fig. 1 encompassed by the circle in this figure.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the improved incandescent bulb includes a reflector portion Ill comprising glass and having a reflecting surface I l on its interior side. The reflector portion In is of generally concaved shape and is provided with an annular ring-like flange section I! around its outer periphery. Adjustably mounted near the center of focus of the reflector portion I0 is a filament supporting ring i3, preferably comprising transparent, electrical insulating material, such as glass. Within the interior of the ring i3 is provided one or more filaments l4 having their end portions anchored in the material of the ring and preferably electrically connected to filament supporting and current supplying wires l5. The wires l5 comprise yieldable, ductile metal having a good electric current carrying capacity and they extend outwardly from the ring l3 and are anchored in the wall structure of the reflector portion Ill. The wires l5 may be of ribbon-like construction and arranged edgewise in'the path of the light rays which are reflected by the surface ll of the reflector portion In so as to avoid obstructing the projectionof such light rays outwardly from the bulb.

In order to facilitate accurate locating of the filament in a predetermined position within the interior of the reflector portion l0, the wires l5 are provided with reversely bent portions, or kinks I6, which accommodate movement of the filaments and their supporting rings l3 during manufacture of the incandescent bulb. Such adjustment may be made by gripping the wires IS with the aid of a pair of pliers or other suitable tool and adding more kinks thereto or straightening out those kinks with which a particular wire is provided in order to accurately position the filament at a desired location.

When only one filament is employed, two of the wires l5, shown in Fig. 2, need not be electrically connected with the end of the filament. These wires may be merely anchored in the glass ring i3 in order to assist in supporting the latter; and each of the remaining wires l5 may be electrically connected to one end of the filament I 4, respectively.

After the filament M has been properly positioned in the interior of the reflector portion i0 of the bulb, a transparent lens portion H, preferably comprising glass and having a flange section l8 substantially conforming in shape and dimension with the flange l2 of the reflector portion .l0, is hermetically sealed to the flange section l2, as illustrated in Fig. 3. These flange sec- [an improved mounting for a lamp of the foregoing character. This mounting preferably comprises a split, channel-shaped sheet metal ring 2| having a channel 22 in which is received the bead formed by the flange sections l2 and I3 of the reflector and lens portions l0 and I1, respectively. Mounted on the flange sections l2 and I3 is a channel-shaped yieldable ring 23 which preferably comprises rubber and which may be bonded to the external surfaces of the flange sections by cement or other suitable means. The rubber ring 23 serves as a sealing member to prevent the admission of dirt and water into the interior of the housing structure in which the bulb is mounted. In the form illustrated, the sheet metal channel member 2| is detachably secured in a casing 24 which may comprise either the outer housing of a lamp or a portion of the structure of a vehicle, for example, in which the bulb is mounted. Screws 25 threaded in bosses 26 on the housing 24 engage the sheet metal channel 2| for detachably holding the incandescent bulb mounting in a predetermined position in the housing structure.

The rubber ring 23 is preferably sufficiently yieldable to accommodate movement of theincandescent bulb in order to direct the light beam emitted therefrom. The position of the bulb may be adjustably varied by screws 21 threaded in nuts 28 mounted in apertures 29 in one of the side walls of the metal channel 2|. When the adjustment screws 21 are employed as electricalcontact members, the nuts 28 are insulated from the channel by insulating material 28' and the inner end portions of the screws 21 are extended through apertures 30 formed in the rubber ring 23 and permitted to contact with the end'portions 3| of the filament supporting and current supplying wires |5.' The end portions 3| of the wires l5 extend externally of the lamp bulb and are exposed adjacent the side face of the flange section l2 of the reflector portion of the bulb. By employing three adjustment screws 21 in circumferentially spaced relation about the metal channel 2|, the incandescent bulb may be varied sufliciently in any desired direction to suitably direct the beam emitted therefrom. A look nut 32 is provided on those set screws 21 which are employed as electrical contacts for the filament in order to facilitate the attachment of lead wires thereto.

Rubber sealing means may be successfully used in combination with an incandescent bulb of the foregoing type which has hermetically sealed together reflector and lens portions for the chemical constituents of the rubber composition are not accessible to the reflecting surface of the reflector portion and therefore, this surface is not subjected to tarnishing by the rubber. By suspending the filaments within the interior of the bulb with the aidof a web-like wire structure of the foregoing typeinone of the central portions of the reflecting surface are rendered inoperative by the obstruction of the passage of light rays to and from the reflector. Inasmuch as this portion of the reflectmeans for supporting said filament comprising a web structure extending across the interior of said reflector portion in unobstructing relationship with respect to the central portion of its reflecting surface.

2. A lamp bulb comprising hermetically sealed together lens and reflector portions, a filament enveloped by said lens and reflector portions, and means for supporting said filament and supplying a current thereto including a web structure extending across the interior of said reflector portion in spaced relation to the central part of its reflecting surface and comprising conductor strands having external end portions for electrical connection with a source of current.

3. A lamp bulb comprising hermetically sealed together lens and reflector portions, a filament enveloped by said lens and reflector portions, and means for supporting said filament and supplying a current thereto including current conductor strands extending across the interior of said reflector portion in spaced relation to the central part of its reflecting surface and having external and portions for electrical connection with a source of current.

4. A lamp bulb comprising a reflector portion, a filament in said lamp bulb, means for supporting said filament including metal ribbons extending outwardly indifferent directions from said tions thereof, said ribbons being ductile and hav-.

ing kinks therein for accommodating movement of said filament into apredetermined position during assembly of said bulb, and a lens portion'hermetically sealed to said reflector portion and together therewith enveloping said filament.

5. A lamp bulb comprising a glass reflector portion, a filament in said lamp bulb, means for supporting said filament and supplying current thereto including conductor wires extending outwardly in different directions from said filament and having end portions anchored in and projecting externally of the outer wall of said lamp bulb, said wires being ductile and having kinks therein for accommodating movement of said filament into a predetermined position during assembly of said lamp bulb, and a glass lens portion hermetically sealed to said reflector portion and together therewith enveloping said filament.

6, A light beam projecting lamp comprising a casing having an open extremity and having a channel element surrounding the latter, an electric light bulb in said casing including permanently hermetically sealed together lens and reflector portions and a filament enveloped therebetween, said bulb having a flange extending around its substantially maximum circumference and disposed in said channel element and spaced from the internal surfaces thereof, a sealing element comprising yieldable material between said flange and the internal surfaces of said channel clement adapted to accommodate adjusting movement of said bulb relative to said casing for facilitating adjustable directing of light rays by said reflector portion, and adjusting members coacting between said channel element and said flange for varying the position of said bulb with respect to said casing and for adjustably directing the light beam emitted from said bulb and reflected by said reflector portion.

7. A lamp comprising a casing having an open extremity, a lens portion closing said open extremity, a reflector portion hermetically sealed to said'lens portion and disposed in said casing, a filament between said lens and reflector portions, filament supporting and current supplying wires extending across the interior of the space between said lens-and reflector portions and hav-- ing end portions projecting externally thereof, and means for adjustably mounting said sealed reflector and lens in said casing comprising adspace and having inner end portions electrically connected with said filament wires and outer end portions anchored in said reflecting portion and projecting externally thereof.

9. A light beam projecting lamp comprising a casing having an open extremity and havinga channel element surrounding the latter, an electric light bulb having a. lens portion closing said open extremity and a reflector portion in said casing hermetically sealed to said lens portion and having an outwardly projecting flange at the junction of said lens and reflector portions extending into said channel, said bulb including a filament between said lens and reflector portions and filament supporting and current supplying wires having end portion anchored in the wall of said bulb and projecting externallythereof adjacent said flange, a sealing clement comprising yieldable material between the internal surfaces of said channel and said flange adapted to accommodate adjusting movement of said bulb relative to said channel, and adjusting members coacting between said channel element and said flange and electrically contacting with said wires and adapted to serve as electric terminals for said filament.

10. A light beam projecting lamp comprising a casing having an open extremity, a light bulb lens, a light bulb reflector, said lens and reflector being integrally sealed together and having a bead extending along the junction of said lens and said reflector, a filament enveloped by said lens and reflector, a ring comprising insulating material surrounding said filament and supporting the latter, combined supporting and filament current supply wires extending outwardly from said ring across said space and having inner end portions electrically connected with said filament wire and outer edge portions anchored in said reflecting portion and projecting externally thereof, and means coacting between said casing and said bead for yieldably holding in sealed engagement said bead and at least one of said wires for supplying an electric current to said filament.

'11. A light beam projecting lamp comprising a casing having an open extremity, a light bulb lens, a light bulb reflector, said lens and reflector being integrally sealed together and having a flange extending along the junction of said lens and said reflector at substantially their maximum circumference, a filament enveloped by said lens and reflector, a ring comprising insulating material surrounding said filament and supporting the latter, combined supporting and filament current supply wires extending outwardly from said ring across said space and having inner end portions electrically connected with said filament wire and outer edge portions anchored in said reflecting portion and projecting externally thereof, and yieldable and adjustable means coacting between said casing and said flange for yieldably holding I in sealed engagement said flange and at least one oi said wires for supplying an electric current to ROGER. 1:. LEE. 

